Mop



Junels, 1936. f J JELENFY 2,044,075

' MOP Filed Oct. l5, 1935 f f fix, j

mvEN-ron Julius Jlenfy ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MJI'IS MOP Julius Ielenfy, New York, N. Y.

Application (.)ctober 15, 1935, Serial No. 45,057

This'invention relates to a new mop. The mop of this invention is new in action and in principle and is useful. It comprises a liquid absorbing rubber for the mopping action and a squeezer for the rubber, which squeezer is a part of the new mop. In more detail, the head of this mop comprises rigid plates which serve to back up the Y rubber. These plates are hinged to the handle for convenience in use and hinged with respect to each other for the squeezing or compressive action. The rubber is aillxed to the plates in such wise that when the plates are moved towards one another or folded by virtue of their o hinged connection in the squeezing action, the rubber is compressed between the approaching plates and squeezed to partial or complete dryness. Normally the rigid plates are substantially in a single plane but in their squeezing positions they approach parallelism. When the go squeezer handle isreleased by the operator, the plates and other parts of the mop return to their normal position and the drier mop is ready for to make said squeezer compact, of small ysize and of i'ew parts in addition to the parts ofthe mop proper which also serve in the squeezing action.

Still another object is to do the squeezing by means of compressive members which are in substantial parallelism at the time of compression. A further object is to provide means for restoring the squeezer to a normal, inoperative and locked position when it is released.

In a preferred embodiment of the mop of this invention the rubber is made of two comparatively equal substantially rectilinear pieces of sponge. ASponge material is of the type which gives up its absorbed liquid readily when it is squeezed and any material having likeproperties which is susceptible ofA use as a mop rubber may also be used. To return to the description, each piece of sponge is aflixed to and backed up by a flat rigid plate. These plates are hinged together in such relation that when they are parallel and in substantially full squeezing position there is a small uniform distance between the surfaces of the two plates thus ail'ording an evenly compressed rubber. One of these plates in turn. is hinged to the lower end of the mop handle while the remaining plate has pvoted thereto the squeezer handle. When the plates are in normal position, edge to edge in a single plane, the squeezer handle, a bifur- 55 cated affair, snaps into locked or gripping posi- 8 Claims. (Cl. 15--119) tion about the mop handle. When the rubber requires a squeezing, the squeezer handle is brought down in a plane perpendicular to the plates and with' the mop handle acting as another squeezer handle, a nut-cracker" compres- 5 sion of the rubber takes place between the rigid plates. 'Release of the squeezer handle restores the rigid plates and rubber to the usual mopping position.

Among the features of the preferred embodil0 ment is that of the easy removability of the pieces of sponge for quick renewal. Further. when the squeezing pressure is released, a resilient member connecting the plates restores the parts of the mop to their ilrst positions. The user of the l5 mop of this invention does not soil his hands and yet can "wring the mop out more quickly than he could if he'were using any other mop. In addition the squeezer is light, compact and tightly held to the body of the mop, adding no weight, 20 perforce since most of the squeezing parts are also mopping parts. The mop is also superlative for getting in and out of corners with its rigid l plates.

Other objects and advantages of this invention' BB will be apparent from the following description and from the drawing,.in.which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof one embodiment of the new mop;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view thereof illustrating the squeezingaction;

Fig. 3 is a top view impartial section, of the head of the new mop shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view of the head of the new mop from the under side thereof Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross-section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross-section of the head of the new mop when in squeezing position.

Referring to the drawing. III designates the mop handle which is hinged at I I to a flat rectangular metal plate I2. The lower end of the mop handle is tapered so as to give fiat support to plate I2 when in the squeezing position as illustrated in Fig. 7. Hinged to plate I2 is a similar plate I3. 'Ihe connection between plates I2 and I3 is effected by link hinges Il so that when the plates are used as a squeezer and forced into substantial parallelism as in Figs. 2 and 7, a space of even height separates the two plates and provides for even compression or squeezing over the entire area of the material conned therebetween.

As the drawing shows (Fig. '1) the hinges I4 55 are removed angularly from the hinge II to the mop handle and the hinges I5 to the Squeezer handle I6, respectively, although along the same edges of the plates I2 and I3.l When plates I2 and I3 are in normal mopping position, that is when they are separated to their fullest extent so as to form a single ilat surface, hinges I5 and II are in a straight line (Figs. 1 and 3) so that handle I can freely swing from side to side with respect to and without shifting the plates I2 and I3 and without relative longitudinal movement between handles I 0 and I6. Extending rearwardly of plate I2 is a small slightly raised pro- Jection I1 which limits the counterclockwise movement (as seen in Fig. 5) of plate I3 relative p to plate I2 to maintain the normal mopping position of these plates. As shown, squeezer handle I6 is bifurcated and its sides for a portion of its length parallel the mop handle I0 (Fig. 1). The upper end of the Squeezer handle I6 is bent outwardly to a slight extent to permit handle I6 to snap around or grip mop handle III and it remains locked in place during mopping activity. Squeezer handle I6 must be rigid to exert sutilcient squeezing pressure by bearing on plate I3 (Figs. 2 and 7) and yet retain its shape so it can return to locked position on handle I0. For this purpose, in the described embodiment the squeezer handle is made of steel tubing. Similarly with the tapered end of handle I0 and plate I2l the squeezer handle I6 maintains flat maximum surface contact with plate I3 during operation of the Squeezer.

In order to serve as a mop, the mop head must carry a liquid absorbing mopping material which will be called a rubber. In the illustration of this invention, the rubber comprises two interchangeable, removable parts I8. The material comprising each part I8 must be such as to allow removal of excess` liquid by substantial direct compressive or squeezing action as distinguished from twlsting. There are many such materials but in the form of the device shown each part I8 is made of a rectilinear piece of sponge about equal in surface area to the dimensions oi the respective plates I2 and I3. This sponge I B is fastened along its top surface to a sheath member I! which slips over and substantially covers the respective plate to which it is fastened. Also, by thus covering plates I2 and I3 the marring of furniture and Y wood-work can be prevented. Member I9 comprises an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 2I joined together at the edges to form the sheath. Upper surface 20 is cut away as shown at 22 in the region of the hinged edge of plates I2 and I3 to permit free movement of the plates and handles and to remove unnecessary materal. Each member IS is also recessed at 23 to expose a small portion of the edge of the respective plate over which it has been slipped. Aiiixed to the upper surface 20, diagonally removed from recess 23, is a long resilient band 2l provided at its outer end with a hook 25. Band 24 is made of such a length that it must be stretched so as to engage hook 25 with the edge of the plate in 'recess 23 of the other of the two members I9 (Figs. 1, 3, 4). A finger tab 28 is provided on each band 24. 'I'hus it will be apparent that when both bands 24 are in place the members I 9 are locked in position on plates I2 and I3 and the parts I8 of the rubber are ready for their mopping action, particularly since the pull of the bands 2l tends to keep the plates in their extended flat position, as shown in Fig. 1. Needless to say, members I 9 carrying the sponges I8 are quickly and conveniently removable, replaceable and interchangeable.

The squeezer in this invention comprises all the parts of the new mop including the squeezer handle I 6. In the squeezing operation, handle I6 5 is rotated away from handle II) in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, until the two handles I6 and I il are roughly 180 degrees apart and res-pew tively against plates I3 and I2. continuance of the rotation of handle IQ clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 5,- while holding mop handle III rm will bring the parts of the mop head'into the posit-:lon shown in Figs. 2 and 7, when the Squeezer action takes place much like that of a "nut-cracker. The squeezing is not only resisted by the stretching of bands 24 but the rubber itself confined in the even space between the compressing plates I2 and I3, helps to resist. Squeezer handle I 6 is long enough to give sutllcient leverage for an eilicient squeezing of parts I8 of the rubber and rigid enough so as not to become bent at the same time. When the Squeezer handle is released the parts of the mop head spring back into normal mopping position and the handle I6 is returned to its xed position on mop handle I0.

This mop is light and compact. It may be used for wood-work, walls, iioors, windows, furniture and the host oi other uses to which its nature adapts it. It is also easily conceivable that many modifications may be made in the mop without 80 departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus for example only, the rubber which can be in one or more sections, may be affixed to the plates directly or through the medium of members which do not cover the plates; or the hinges I5 86 may not be in line with hinge I I; or the bands 24 may be made so as to hook at each end to the two plates. The invention, particularly that part relating to the squeezer, is broad and is not to be limited except as may be done by the appended 40 claims.

I claim:

1. A mop comprising rigid plates, a hinge connection between said plates, elastic means connecting the plates to hold said plates in flat extended position, a rubber aixed to said plates, simple lever means to rotate said plates towards each other to squeeze said rubber therebetween whereby by virtue of said hinge connection a space of even height remains between said plates as they approach parallelism to substantially effect an even squeezing of said rubber.

2. A mop comprising a mop handle, a at plate hinged to the bottom of said handle, a second similar flat plate hinged to said first-named 55 plate, a Squeezer handle hinged to said secondnamed ilat plate, wherein the axes of all said hinges are substantially parallel and closely grouped adjacent one another, said Squeezer handle having a portion adapted to detachably engage and grip said mop handle, parts of a rubber amxed to said plates, which plates in normal mopping position extend outwardly from the hinged connection with said handles in a single plane, and means whereby when said handles are rotated in opposite directions said plates are forced towards each other to squeeze said parts therebetween.

3. A mop comprising flat rigid hinged members, a mop handle independently hinged to the top of 70 one of said members, a Squeezer handle independently hinged to the top of another of said members, fastening means whereby said Squeezer handle may detachably engage said mop handie and hinge means, having coincident axes, to 75 permit rotation of said handles with respect to said members without movement of said handles relative to each other.

4. A mop comprising rigid plates in hinged relation to each other, handles connected to said plates to force them towards one another, sheath members fitting over said plates, a rubber attached to said sheath members, and means adapted to hold said sheath members on said plates and simultaneously to resist said plates being rotated toward one another.

5. A mop comprising a plate, a second plate hingedly linked thereto, a mop handle hinged to the top of said first-named plate, a squeezer handle hinged to the top of said second plate whereby when said plates are extended outwardly from each other substantially in a single plane the axes of the hinges of said handles are coincident with each other.

6. A mop incorporating a squeezing function comprising al substantially flat member, a second such member pivotally connected substantially edge to edge to said first named member, a pair of handles respectively hinged to said membersv adjacent the pivotally connected edges thereof and means whereby one of said handles is designed to frictionally grip the outside ot the remaining handle when said squeezing function is not being performed.

7. A mop comprising two plates, an edge of one such plate hingedly linked to an edge of the remaining plate, a handle hinged to each such edge to extend upwardly, said handles having coincident axes through the hinges thereof and. adapted to frictionally grip one another when said plates are in their substantially flat, separated position, mop rubber parts attached to the bottom of said plates, and means whereby said handles when separated are designed to be revolved in opposite directions relatively in a single plane perpendicular to said plates whereupon said plates are forced to rotate toward each other to compress said rubber parts therebetween.

8. A mop comprising a plate pivotally connected to another plate, a mop handle pivotally connected to the top of one of said plates. an integral squeezer handle pivotally connected to the top of 20 JULIUS JELENFY. 

